Clamping-ring for pipe-coupling.



S. R. DRESSER.

GLAMPING RING FOR PIPE COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION TILED JUNE 6, 1907.

v Patented Aug. 18, 19M

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GLAMPING RING FOR PIPE COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1907.

Patented Aug. 18, .1914.

2 SHEETS BHEET 2.

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SOLOMON R. DRESSER, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO S. R.DRESSER- MANUFACTURING- COMPANY, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLAMPING-RING FOR PIPE-COUPLINGS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOLOMON R. DRESSER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamping- Rings forPipe-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate oneform in which I have contemplated embodying my invention and severalslight modifications thereof, and said invention is fully disclosed inthe following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of askelp or bar from which my improved clamping ring is formed. Fig. 2 is aperspective View of a piece of said skelp or bar bent into circular formin the plane of the plate or bottom portion thereof, preparatory towelding, the meeting ends being slightly separated for greater clearnessof illustration. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the finished ring. Figs.4 to 8 inclusive are sectional views of similar rings made from skelp orbars having a slightly modified cross section.

In the manufacture of clamping rings for pipe couplings from wroughtmetal, such as wrought iron or steel, on a large scale and with economyof production, it is extremely important to prevent as far as it ispossible, all waste of the material from which said rings are made. Suchwaste of material occurs to a considerable extent where the rings arecut, stamped or forged from flat sheet metal, which is bent intothedesired final shape, and it is the object of my invention to provide aring which can be made with practically no waste whatever, and whichwill yet provide all the advantages of wrought metal. clamping rings.

In carrying out my invention I first roll a skelp or bar havingsubstantially the cross section required for the finished ring, andcomprising a flat or substantially flat base or plate portion A, and alongitudinal rib B, projecting substantially perpendicularly from oneface of said plate portion, and dis posed between the edges of the same.The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 6, 1907.

Patented Aug. 18,- rare.

Serial No. 377,636.

rib B is ordinarily disposed closer to one edge a of said plate portion,which is the inner edge of the same when bent into ring form, ashereinafter described, and said rib is preferably made thicker adjacentto its union with the plate portion forming the concave portions 1) b oneither side of the rib. The upper surface of the plate portion adcent tothe outer edge a is preferably beveled slightly from the curved orconcave portion b, outwardly so that the plate portion is thinneradjacent to its outer edge than at its inneredge as shown-in Figs. 1, 2and 3. A section of the skelp or bar, so formed, is bent into circularform in the plane of the plate portion A, as shown in Fig. 2, by anysuitable means, and the meeting ends are brought into suitablejuxtaposition to enable them to be welded by any suitable weldingprocess. In the present instance Fig. 2 shows the ring bent, and theends of the skelp or bar cut perpendicularly for butt welding, but theskelp may be lap welded, and the ring may be hammer welded, orelectrically welded, or otherwise, as found most desirable. Fig. 2 showsthe ends of the skelp separated slightly to facilitate the illustrationof the same.

When the ring is formed the rib B will form an annular flange, as shown,projecting laterally from one face of the annular plate portion A. Thepart of the plate portion A exterior to the web or flange B is providedwith bolt holes a preferably oval, or elongated in one direction, asshown in Fig. 3 and indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The bolt holesare preferably formed after thewelding of the bar, but they may beformed in v,

the bar or skelp before welding if preferred.

In bending the blank into ring form it will be seen that the thickerpart of the plate portion which lies adjacent to the edge a within theannular flange formed by the rib B will be upset and thereby increasedin thickness and strength, while the outer part of the plate portionwill be thinned. The effect of the bending operation is, therefore, toupset and increase the thickness and strength of the inner portion ofthe plate member which constitutes the base of the packing recess, andis subjected to the great est strain when the ring is in use in thecoupling of which it forms a part, as the strain of all the bolts, isconcentrated upon this inner portion of the ring to compress the packingring and effect a tight joint. It

is not necessary that the outer portion of the plate member, which isobviously of greater diameter than the inner portion should be as thickas said inner portion, as the strain of the bolts on said outer portionis more widely distributed. It is also to be noted that the ring is usedwithout machining and that the skin of the metal is unbroken on anyportion of the ring. The annular rib B of the finished ring (see Fig. 3)with the part of plate portion A located interiorly thereof, forms anannular recess indicated at C, Fig. 3, for the reception of an annularpacking or packing ring (not shown).

In Figs 4 to 8 inclusive, I have shown seetional views of slightlymodified forms of rings, made from bars or skelp having slightlydifferent cross sections, to that shown in Fig. 1 but within the scopeof my invention and the cross section of said bar or skelp may befurther varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the skelp or bar is rolled with flange a adjacent tothe outer edge a of the plate portion A, which when. the bar is formedinto a ring and welded, forms a reinforcing rib or flange at the outeredge of the plate portion of the ring. The other variations are in thedistribution of thickness of metal and are evident from an inspection ofthe figures.

It will be seen that by rolling the bar or skelp in the desired crosssection and forming my improved ring therefrom as before described,there is practically no waste of the metal and the rings, while givingthe required strength and rigidity, may be very economically producedcommercially. It will also be seen that the grain of the metal willextend in a direction around the ring and this, it is found, contributesgreat strength and toughness to the ring.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The hereindescribed clamping ring for a rubber packed pipe coupling, formed ofwrought metal, and comprising an annular plate member disposedperpendicularly to the axis of the ring, and an integral annular flangemember projecting from one face of the plate member, and located betweenthe inner and outer edges thereof, said plate member extending a greaterdistance on the outside of the flange member than on the inside thereof,and being provided with a plurality of bolt holes, the inner face of theflange member being substantially perpendicular to the plane of theplate member, said ring being formed integrally and being welded at oneplace and having the grain of the metal extending around the ring.

the portion of the plate member exterior to the flange member being boththinner than and wider than the portion within the circle of said flangemember and being provided with a plurality of bolt holes between itsouter edge and the flange member, suflicient metal being provided insaid exterior portion to prevent the weakening thereof by the formationof the bolt holes therein, the inner face of the flange member and theadjacent face of the interior portion of the plate'member forming apacking recess, the said ring being formed of an integral piece of metalhaving its ends welded, and the grain of the metal extending. around thering, and said flange member being of greater thickness adjacent to theplate member than it is adjacent to its outer edge.

3. The herein described process of making a wrought metal clamping ringfor pipe couplings which consists in forming'a bar of wrought metalhaving a flat plate portion and a flange portion extending substantiallyperpendicularly from one face thereof, between its inner and outer edgesthe exterior portion of the plate member being of sufliciently greaterwidth than the interior portion to provide for the formation of boltholes therein without unduly weakening the plate member, and said flangeportion being of substantially uniform thickness to a line near theplate member and being thickened where it joins the plate member,bending said bar in the plane of the plate member into ring form andwelding the ends together to form a ring having an annular plate memberand an annular flange member, the metal of the plate member within thecircle of the flange member being upset and thickened to form the bottomof a packing recess, and the exterior portions of the plate memberlieing thinned, and providing the exterior portions of the plate memberwith bolt holes.

In testimony whereof I affix my inthe presence of two witnesses.

SOLOMON R. DRESSER.

Witnesses CHAS. J. GREGG, C. C. CoMFoR'r.

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